The Rural Voice, 1988-05, Page 22R
R
I
1O3
�%
5 yr.
,qEINVESTMENTS
122 Courthouse Square
Goderich
524-2773 1-800-265-5503
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Alarms - fire, intrusion
Safety clothing & supplies
SALES & SERVICE
HURON PERTH FIRE & SAFETY
Seaforth 1-800-265-3197
GEORGIAN BAY FIRE & SAFETY
Head Office
Owen Sound 519-376-6120
DRYING
From
'.lLiiiL .
i
POWER
MATHEWS
i
•
t•
t
• Centrtugal Bin Fans • Expansion Modules
PRE—SEASON SPECIALS!
THE EARLIER YOU BUY,
THE LESS YOU PAY!
Add a tro bis free energy saving M -C Heat
Recovery System and save even more — up to
3314 additional tun savings and morel
SOO us for your Grain Handling
System Needs including fens etc.
Alio Haying and Lawn Equipment
A. J. HAUGH
EQUIPMENT,
iM,�,
--
ONT.
BRUCEFIELD
CALI FOR INFORMATION »ID PRICES
519-527-0138
Ontario's oldest 11--C Osaka and distributor
20 THE RURAL VOICE
because a law can only enforce mini-
mum standards, while the voluntary
codes set a standard of excellence.
Farmers, he says, want to be perceived
as excellent producers and, when they
know about the codes, adopt them
readily.
As an indication of how much
farmers want these sons of docu-
ments, Johnstone points to the change
in attitude since he first brought the
subject of chicken welfare up with the
egg industry. He got a lot of heat, he
says, and it took three years for the
codes to be accepted. Johnstone says
that other groups are now lining up for
their own codes, partly because it's a
way to talk to the moderate element in
animal welfare.
and the current understanding of
humane agriculture. If the under-
standing of welfare changes, then the
codes will change.
The drawing up of these codes of
practice is an indication that the live-
stock industries believe the welfare
issue is not going to go away. This
view is underscored by Dr. Hurnik,
who points out that the issue is
blooming in countries that meet two
social criteria: a high standard of
human liberty and readily available,
affordable food. Change any one of
the conditions, and the welfare issue
drops. As Dr. Hurnik says, "since we
want the whole world to achieve those
goals, then the possibility of the
movement growing is good."
He also says that while the codes
of practice are voluntary, each com-
modity group wants its members to be
good producers. The Egg Producers
Marketing Board has a barn inspection
sheet and sends inspectors to every
egg producer in the province several
times a year. Cleanliness, the pres-
ence of flies or wet manure, and even
water pressure are measured and
recorded. More importantly, the egg
board has the tools to force sloppy
producers to clean up: it simply stops
buying their eggs. Johnstone says this
is a much more powerful tool than
legislation, which is difficult and time-
consuming to enforce.
A second major criticism of the
codes is that they are codes for hu-
mane rearing under intensive methods.
The problems associated with intensi-
fication are not addressed or solved.
Johnstone agrees with this criticism,
but says that more research is needed
before it can be determined whether
changes are necessary, and what they
should be. The codes, he says, are a
good middle line between efficiency
The biggest problem for farmers
right now is the potential for a mass
consumer boycott. It is a fact of life
for farmers that the majority of con-
sumers are urban and have little or no
idea of how a modern farm works.
The image of contented animals living
on a free-range farm is a vivid one
among non -farmers, leaving urban
consumers easy prey for destructive
advertising campaigns. An adver-
tising campaign designed to instigate
a consumer boycott doesn't even have
to be false; the reality of the modem
chicken barn is a shocking contrast to
the idyllic image of the free-range
chicken, and this contrast can evoke
strong responses in people suddenly
presented with it. To pre-empt this
sort of damaging action, farmers must
act.
Individual farmers, as Dr. Hurnik
notes, must become aware of the
philosophical aspects of the issue and
understand the criticisms of modem
farming methods. Care must be taken
to ensure that animals are well looked
after. Adhering to the codes of prac-